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This is the Stygimoloch, and it is one of hard-headed dinosaur. It has an armored dome crowed by horns. Despite this, it's social and a relatively docile animal... unless threatened. Then, steer well clear of it. This dinosaur can do a number on its enclosures, and bash its way through any number of obstacles. Take that into consideration when you're planning its environment.

Stygimoloch is a genus of pachycephalosaurid dinosaur that originated from Late Cretaceous North America. The second-largest pachycephalosaur of the Hammond Foundation, Stygimoloch was cloned by InGen for exhibition at Jurassic World on Isla Nublar. Stygimoloch specimens were encountered on the island during the destructive volcanic eruption of Mount Sibo in 2018.[1]

Stygimoloch is rewarded for progressing through the Entertainment Division on Isla Tacaño, and upon being researched, can subsequently be excavated at the Hell Creek and Lance Formations in North America.

The Stygimoloch was first added to the game with the Fallen Kingdom Dinosaur Update.

History

Originally from the Late Cretaceous period of North America, Stygimoloch was cloned by InGen for Jurassic World on Isla Nublar, where it lived alongside its close relative Pachycephalosaurus. After the disastrous incident that took place in 2015, Stygimoloch and the park's other resident dinosaurs were released to the wild and were considered an endangered species at the time of the eruption of Mount Sibo.[1]

At least five Stygimoloch were successfully transported by a team of mercenaries hired by Eli Mills to the Lockwood Estate in northern California, where the surviving dinosaurs were intended to be auctioned off. However, Claire Dearing and Owen Grady released an individual named "Stiggy" from its cage, and it subsequently went on a rampage throughout the manor, disrupting the auction and causing numerous injuries before fleeing into the surrounding forest. The other Stygimoloch were eventually freed by Maisie Lockwood alongside all the other dinosaurs.[1]

Four years after the incident in Lockwood Manor, several Stygimoloch roamed the wilderness freely, with one being captured and displayed at the illegal Amber Clave Market of Valletta, Malta.[2]

Characteristics

Easily recognizable thanks to the large bony horns on the back of its head, which it uses to defend itself from predators, Stygimoloch is a small bipedal herbivorous dinosaur with a large domed head from the pachycephalosaur family that lived in the western United States around 65-68 million years ago. Measuring over three meters in length, it has a prominent crown of horns around its dome and snout. Its name translates to "Styx Devil", referring to the river in Greek mythology that separates Earth and bounds the Underworld. It had a smaller, flatter dome than other pachycephalosaurids, with more elaborate spikes around the skull. The base genome of the Stygimoloch is a chestnut brown body with cream underbelly and dark brown streaks on its back.

Behaviour

JWE DLC dinosaur Stygimoloch noui

A pair of Stygimolochs.

Stygimoloch is one of the more social pachycephalosaurs, second only to Homalocephale, and can live in medium-sized to large groups of up to twelve members of their own kind, and up to fourteen dinosaurs of various species. While fairly easy to contain, Stygimoloch will become stressed when placed in an enclosure with less than four other Stygimoloch. While they are defenceless against larger carnivores, they will stand their ground and fight against small predators such as Velociraptor and Troodon.

With the Claire's Sanctuary expansion pack, Stygimoloch will have a paleobotany preference for Horsetails, and secondary preferences for Grasses and Cycads. However, they will be harmed if they eat Tree Ferns, Conifers and Ginkgo.

Paleontology

The history of Stygimoloch is somewhat controversial, with many competing views about its classification. The first Stygimoloch was discovered towards the end of the 19th Century in the Hell Creek Formation, Texas as well as the Ferris and Lance Formations, but it wasn’t officially named until 1982, when Hans-Dieter Sues and Peter Galton formally described it as a new genus. Some experts now believe that the specimens found are in fact those of juvenile Pachycephalosaurus.

Stygimoloch is a controversial genus of Pachycephalosaurid due to two studies in 2009 and 2016 which argued that both Dracorex and Stygimoloch were actually immature forms of Pachycephalosaurus as well as a corroborative 2010 study which suggested that all flat-headed Pachycephalosaurids were juveniles of dome-headed adults. However, a 2017 paper revealed that Stygimoloch lived about 2 million years later than Pachycephalosaurus, renewing confidence in its status as a distinct genus (or possibly a second species of Pachycephalosaurus).

The name Stygimoloch means "Demon of the River Styx", in reference to the Hell Creek formation where it was found and its ring of horns around its bony dome, giving it a devilish look.

Paleoecology

Stygimoloch during the Late Cretaceous period, roaming the forests and plains of North America. There, it lived alongside many other dinosaurs, including the hadrosaur Edmontosaurus, the ceratopsians Triceratops and Torosaurus, the armored Ankylosaurus, the ornithomimid Struthiomimus, as well as the theropods Troodon and the apex predator Tyrannosaurus.

Stygimoloch fossils have been found in regions known to be subtropical along the shoreline of the Western Interior Sea. There was no cold season, and steady amounts of rainfall buried specimens under layers of sand after they were washed downstream.

Available genomes

Fossil icon Dig site Quality Number available
Pachyfossilicon
Hell Creek Formation
★★
★★★
★★★★
1
3
6
4
Lance Formation
★★
★★★
★★★★
1
3
6
4

Skins

Behind the scenes

The Stygimoloch was created using the 3D model that was created for 2018's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom by Industrial Light & Magic, as well as audio files provided by Universal Pictures to create the most authentic representation of the dinosaur.[3]

With Update 1.8, Stygimoloch, along with Pachycephalosaurus and Dracorex, were given the ability to fight and kill small carnivores.

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bayona, J. A. (Director). (2018). Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom [Film]. Universal Pictures.
  2. Trevorrow, Colin. (Director). (2022). Jurassic World Dominion [Film]. Universal Pictures.
  3. Krupa, Daniel (May 16, 2018). HOW JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION MADE ITS T.REX - IGN FIRST IGN. Retrieved June 14, 2018

External links

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